Transformers Prime - Hazy

Possibilities

    When I got inside with Ariel, letter carefully concealed, Akane was waiting, arms crossed. He nodded, and went down to the basement with Ariel, who looked a tad puzzled but nonetheless obeyed. I let out a long breath of relief, immediately running upstairs to Jasmine’s room.

Angela: “Jazz!”

I called, bursting in. She was on the bed, looking at the ring again. She didn’t have that same . . . vulnerability I’d noticed in her recently. She blinked, staring at me, her eyes widening when I pulled the blue envelope out of my purse. She shot up, embracing me tightly before taking the letter, sitting on the edge of the bed, ripping it open with shaking hands. She unfolded it, eyes moving rapidly over that sheet of paper.

~First-Person Narration: Jasmine~

    The words were as bittersweet as always, but this time they didn’t hurt so much . . . This time it wasn’t an empty promise. It was real.

    It was Sunday . . . My eyes flushed with tears, holding that piece of paper close to my chest. The piece of paper that would have a value of next to nothing if it didn’t hold those words. Sunday . . . at the cafe . . . My usual cafe . . .

    I’d have to push my mind aside from the ghost I’d seen last night. I had to ignore it, move on. It didn’t matter if I could swear that translucent form had kissed me back or not . . . I had a chance to meet someone who’d captured me with their written word . . . And who was obviously not a ghost . . . Even if that ghost had made me feel something I hadn’t in . . . how long had it been . . . ?

    It didn’t matter any more. This man . . . could be the start of something completely new. Something that would dull the pain in her chest.

~First-Person Narration: Ariel~

    Of all the scrapping things . . . This nut had an obstacle course already set up and waiting for me. I had to hurdle rock walls that reached my waist, crawl under barbed wire,  climb a twenty foot vertical rope in under thirty seconds, deliver three critical blows to a diagramed punching bag and then I had to spar with this guy himself. I did all right against, no real damage done to him, which was different for me. I was used to being able to fight guys and take them out in seconds.

    It was frustrating. His reaction time was perfect. I went for a blow to his oblique, he blocked. I went for a punch to his temple, he swept my hand away with direct precision. I groaned, a slight sheen of sweat sliding onto my brow. How was this possible? This guy couldn’t be for real.

    I was breathing heavier than I should’ve been, and he seemed slightly strained, too, but it wasn’t good enough. I had to do better. I had to show this guy that I was not some pansy who was a mistaken investment. I was a warrior at heart. If I had a reason to fight, I would be on the front lines, I would be defeating enemies . . .

    I ground my teeth together, moving my arms to strike his sides simultaneously. As expected, his arms moved to deflect me, and I had the opening for a split second.

    I took it. My foot lifted, aiming for the center of his abdomen. I hit the bullseye. Akane staggered back a few feet before he fell onto his butt, readjusting his sunglasses. I was panting heavily, and as he stood, I noticed I wasn’t the only one. His breathing was elevated past it’s normal rate, but not what mine was. I stood straight, holding my chin high, proud of gaining the upper hand.

    He righted himself, posture proper as he walked towards me. He gave a slight nod.

Akane: “Fair enough. Now you’ll jog for fifteen minutes nonstop around the room.”

    Excuse me? This guy was a pain in my aft. I just did everything he asked, most of it with ease, and now he wanted me to run, even though . . . UGH. I ground my teeth harder together, rolling my eyes as I took off. The room was large enough,  big enough to hold two basketball courts, but it was still a pain. I took it fairly easy at first, allowing my body time to relax, my lungs the room needed to take in the necessary air for my muscles to operate at full capacity.